How you can help the homeless this winter

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - If you see a homeless individual on the street this winter, South Bend leaders offer ways you can help keep them safe.

“I never go do street outreach without things to offer that they need. So I keep in my car handwarmers, gloves and hats,” said outreach coordinator Araquel Bloss.

“People with a heart just don’t want to do nothing. You can’t pass these folks on the street and not feel a desire to do something,” said South Bend Common Council Member Lori Hamann.

“Probably the thing that people can do the most is check in with family and friends...People are about to be evicted...People are living in their cars,” Bloss said.

The MOTELS4Now program is currently housing over 100 homeless individuals, many of whom are receiving wraparound services from Oaklawn.

Hamann said some of the services include therapy, treatment and housing.

“With the funding from the county and the city, this has been a really amazing success story,” Hamann said.

Unfortunately this program has a long wait list.

“The problem is we just have so many people and not everybody is being serviced right now,” Hamann said.

To get on the list, you have to go to Our Lady of the Road on a Wednesday between 2 p.m. -5 p.m.

The city is also partnering with Hope Ministries and the Center for the Homeless to provide weather amnesty.

“We are currently writing up a proposal for the city and the county combined to see about adding some additional space for the weather amnesty overflow,” Hamann said.

Hamann said breakfast and showers are available at Broadway Christian Parish Monday through Thursday; and at Our Lady of the Road Friday through Sunday.

All of these programs are accepting monetary donations.

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